RETRACTABLE VEHICLE SUN SHADE WITH A MAGNETIC LATCH
A retractable sun shade for a vehicle that rolls up into a housing at the base of the windshield. Magnets on the top edge of the shade latch with corresponding magnets mounted to the vehicle to hold the shade open when deployed. Vehicle magnets may for example be on a T-bar that is clamped to the rearview mirror arm. The housing may be held in position via tension bars on the left and right ends of the housing, which push outward against the sides of the vehicle to hold the housing in place. The system may be installed or removed without tools, adhesives, or fixtures. The system conforms to vehicles and windshields of different sizes and shapes. Deployment and retraction of the shade are rapid and simple.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application 62/474,609, filed 22 Mar. 2017, the specification of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the InventionOne or more embodiments of the invention are related to the field of sunshades for a vehicle, which may for example be placed on the front windshield to block sunlight when the vehicle is parked. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a retractable vehicle sunshade with a magnetic latch.
Description of the Related ArtVarious types of sunshades for vehicles are known in the art. These sunshades may have panels or screens that are manually placed across a windshield when a vehicle is parked, and then manually folded up and removed from the windshield to use the vehicle. The manually placing and removal of these sunshades may be time-consuming and inconvenient. Moreover, the folded-up sunshades must be stored away from the windshield (for example in a trunk), and then retrieved each time for subsequent use.
Some retractable sunshade systems are known in the art; these systems incorporate a housing for a screen that remains in position, for example at the base of the windshield, when the sunshade is retracted. Illustrative systems are taught for example in Weir, U.S. Pat. No. 7,143,805 titled “Sunscreen,” and in Shu, United States Patent Application Publication US 2010/0013262 A1 titled “Sunshade for Motor Vehicles.” These publications teach retractable sunshades. However, in both of these systems, fixtures must be mounted on the vehicles using for example glue or other semi-permanent attachments. The system taught in Shu envisions placing the shade over several hooks for deployment, and unhooking the shade for retraction. The system taught in Weir further envisions two different shades for the driver's side and passenger's side of a windshield. Neither of these systems may be installed or removed easily without glue or similar adhesives. Neither provides an extremely rapid and simple method of deployment or retraction.
For at least the limitations described above there is a need for a retractable vehicle sun shade with a magnetic latch.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONOne or more embodiments described in the specification are related to a retractable vehicle sun shade with a magnetic latch. One or more embodiments may include a shade, which may be made for example of a flexible material that partially or fully blocks sunlight, a housing into which the shade is retracted for storage, and a latching mechanism to hold the shade open when deployed. The shade may be installed for example on the windshield of a vehicle to block sunlight when the vehicle is parked or stored.
In one or more embodiments the housing may extend horizontally along the base of a window such as the windshield. The shade may be rolled up in the housing when it is in a retracted position. The housing may have a spring or similar bias mechanism to automatically retract the shade into the housing. To deploy the shade, a user may for example pull vertically upward on the top edge of the shade. One or more embodiments may incorporate a magnetic latch that holds the shade in the deployed position. For example, one or more magnets may be installed in or mounted to the vehicle, and may latch via magnetic attraction with one or more corresponding magnets on the top edge of the shade to hold the shade in the deployed position.
In one or more embodiments, the shade may have an indentation along the top edge into which the rearview mirror arm of the vehicle may fit when the shade is deployed.
To hold the housing in place in the vehicle, one or more embodiments may incorporate tension bars attached to the left and right ends of the housing. These tension bars may for example employ springs or other bias mechanisms to push outwards and contact the vehicle, thereby holding the housing in position. The tips of the left and right tension bars may be made of rubber, for example, or of another compliant material. One or more embodiments may employ other mechanisms to hold the housing in position, such as for example, without limitation, suction cups that attach to the windshield, or other mounting fixtures.
Magnets mounted to the vehicle, which mate with magnets on the top edge of the shade, may be secured to the vehicle using any desired mount or fixtures. For example, in one or more embodiments a vehicle magnet mount may be a T-bar clamped to the rearview mirror arm. This mount may for example have a clamp, a vertical post extending upwards from the clamp, and a horizontal bar attached to the post that holds the vehicle magnet or magnets.
The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be more apparent from the following more particular description thereof, presented in conjunction with the following drawings wherein:
A retractable vehicle sun shade with a magnetic latch will now be described. In the following exemplary description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to an artisan of ordinary skill that the present invention may be practiced without incorporating all aspects of the specific details described herein. In other instances, specific features, quantities, or measurements well known to those of ordinary skill in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the invention. Readers should note that although examples of the invention are set forth herein, the claims, and the full scope of any equivalents, are what define the metes and bounds of the invention.
Shade 101 may for example be made of a flexible material, which may allow the shade to roll up inside the housing 103 for storage when retracted. The shade material or materials may be opaque or semi-transparent, and may block any or all of the sunlight that hits the shade. The shade may be made of any size, shape, color, pattern, material, thickness, transparency, or polarization. Illustrative materials for the shade may include for example, without limitation, polyvinyl chloride, canvas, nylon, and cotton. In one or more embodiments, the shade may be made of multiple sheets, and different sheets may have different materials, transparency, polarization, colors, thickness, shapes, sizes, or patterns.
Housing 103 may be held in position relative to the vehicle or vehicle windshield with any type of mechanism or fixture. For example, without limitation, the housing may be glued, taped, screwed, bolted, strapped, or wedged into or onto any portion of the vehicle or windshield. In one or more embodiments, one or more suction cups may be attached to housing 103 to attach the housing to the windshield. One or more embodiments may include mounting fixtures to facilitate attachment of the housing to the vehicle. In the illustrative embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
Because the housing 103 may include a spring or similar bias mechanism to automatically retract the shade, some type of latch may be needed or desired to hold the shade in the deployed position. In the embodiment shown in
Vehicle magnets 111a and 111b may be held in position using any desired mounts, fixtures, or mechanisms. For example, these magnets may be attached directly to the windshield 140, to the roof of the vehicle, or to sun visors of the vehicle. In the embodiment of
While the invention herein disclosed has been described by means of specific embodiments and applications thereof, numerous modifications and variations could be made thereto by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention set forth in the claims.
Claims
1. A retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch comprising:
- a housing configured to extend horizontally along a bottom side of a window of a vehicle, the housing coupled to a first tension bar disposed at a first side of the housing and a second tension bar disposed at a second side of the housing opposite the first side, each of the first and second tension bars comprising a spring for biasing force in an axial direction parallel with an axis of the housing and further comprising a tip for contacting a portion of the vehicle, wherein the first and second tension bars are each disposed outside a volume of the housing;
- a sun shade element having a top edge, wherein said sun shade element is configured to be rolled up in said housing when in a retracted position;
- said sun shade element is configured to be extended vertically along said window when in a deployed position, wherein said top edge extends towards a top side of said window when said sun shade element is extended; and,
- said sun shade element is biased to said retracted position by a roll up mechanism in said housing;
- one or more shade magnets disposed along said top edge; and,
- one or more vehicle magnets configured to be mounted in a fixed orientation with respect to said window, each vehicle magnet of said one or more vehicle magnets corresponding to a shade magnet of said one or more shade magnets, wherein a magnetic attraction between said one or more vehicle magnets and said one or more shade magnets holds said sun shade element in said deployed position.
2. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 1, wherein said sun shade element has an indentation along said top edge, wherein a rearview mirror mounting arm attached to said window fits inside said indentation when said sun shade element is extended.
3. (canceled)
4. (canceled)
5. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 1, further comprising magnets disposed on one of the sun shade element or a magnet mount for holding said housing in a fixed position relative to said vehicle when said sun shade element is extended from said retracted position to said deployed position.
6. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 1, further comprising a vehicle magnet mount coupled to said one or more vehicle magnets and configured to be coupled to said vehicle.
7. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 6, wherein said vehicle magnet mount is configured to be detachably coupled to a rearview mirror mounting arm attached to said window.
8. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 7, wherein said vehicle magnet mount comprises:
- a clamp configured to be detachably clamped to said rearview mirror mounting arm;
- a post extending vertically upward from said clamp; and, a horizontal bar coupled to a top end of said post, wherein said one or more vehicle magnets are coupled to said horizontal bar.
9. A retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch comprising:
- a housing configured to extend horizontally along a bottom side of a window of a vehicle;
- a sun shade element having a top edge, wherein said sun shade element is configured to be rolled up in said housing when in a retracted position;
- said sun shade element is configured to be extended vertically along said window when in a deployed position, wherein said top edge extends towards a top side of said window when said sun shade element is extended;
- said sun shade element is biased to said retracted position by a roll up mechanism in said housing; and,
- said sun shade element has an indentation along said top edge, wherein a rearview mirror mounting arm attached to said window fits inside said indentation when said sun shade element is extended;
- one or more shade magnets disposed along said top edge;
- one or more vehicle magnets configured to be mounted in a fixed orientation with respect to said window, each vehicle magnet of said one or more vehicle magnets corresponding to a shade magnet of said one or more shade magnets, wherein a magnetic attraction between said one or more vehicle magnets and said one or more shade magnets holds said sun shade element in said deployed position;
- a left tension bar coupled to a left end of said housing, comprising a left rubber tip at a left end of said left tension bar, and biased to extend leftward from said left end of said housing to make a left contact between said vehicle and said left rubber tip;
- a right tension bar coupled to a right end of said housing, comprising a right rubber tip at a right end of said right tension bar, and biased to extend rightward from said right end of said housing to make a right contact between said vehicle and said right rubber tip;
- wherein said left contact and said right contact hold said housing in a fixed position relative to said vehicle when said sun shade element is extended from said retracted position to said deployed position,
- at least one of the left and right tension bars comprises a pull tab, the pull tab extending perpendicularly from the respective tension bar in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction; and,
- a vehicle magnet mount comprising a clamp configured to be detachably clamped to said rearview mirror mounting arm; a post extending vertically upward from said clamp; and, a horizontal bar coupled to a top end of said post, wherein said one or more vehicle magnets are coupled to said horizontal bar.
10. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 1, wherein the tip of each of the first and second tension bars comprises a pointed end.
11. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 1, wherein the sun shade element comprises a first side and a second side, the first side is distinct from the second side.
12. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 11, wherein the first side is configured to absorb heat from the sun, and the second side is configured to reflect heat from the sun; wherein the sun shade element is reversible for use during winter and summer, respectively.
13. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second tension bars comprises a pull tab, the pull tab extending perpendicularly from the respective tension bar in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction.
14. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 2, wherein the indentation comprises a u-shaped indentation.
15. The retractable vehicle sun shade assembly with a magnetic latch of claim 14, wherein a first magnet is disposed along the top edge of the sun shade element at a first side relative to the u-shaped indentation, and a second magnet is disposed along the top edge of the sun shade element at a second side relative to the u-shaped indentation opposite the first side.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 7, 2017
Publication Date: Sep 27, 2018
Inventor: Yuen Hui MAO (San Diego, CA)
Application Number: 15/698,229